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Alice is in our Wonderland now

It’s done, kids! I have finally caught up with everyone else and went to the cinema to enjoy the fabulous adventure of Alice. In 3D, nonetheless. What other way would have been more suitable to spice up an otherwise classical story? Tim Burton's vision is perfect from any point of view. This is how we end up facing a magical yet maybe the most terrible trend as of late: Alice.

Original John Tenniel illustration

Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?

You know it is a trend when major fashion magazines dedicate pages to a breakdown on how it started and where it goes. Not to mention the endless possibilities to recreate outfits and looks. Fact is that once it hits mainstream, every trend is nearly doomed. What made you love and appreciate it the first time will make you turn your back on it as soon as it gets overdone. Oh, the chore! How could we possibly forget or hate Alice and what she represents? Do you feel it now? The special power of this unconvetional rising fashion icon: it’s all in our imagination. Literally.

Drink me, eat me

There is no room for denial: I couldn’t turn my back on jewelery inspired by Alice in Wonderland. I think it is one of the easiest way to interpret the story and to wear it with you all the time. Maybe the most common of ways and also the one that can easily make you… downright common. Here is an idea to put into practice: just like Alice, we should try finding our own identity. What represents us, not what Alice would have worn in the story. Something whimsical, hats and cats, yes! But not the ordinary takes on those. Maybe a subtle touch as a pair of shoes decorated with a heart or a colorful headband would do it, while not allowing us to be anonymous or to evaporate like the Cheshire cat.

So why is Alice the most coveted character inspiration? No one does a Mad Hatter collection, do they? One reason could be that Alice is the only one who keeps looking real, authentic, human in this surreal experience. She shrinks and grows multiple times, but so do we, psychologically speaking, on various occassions. Alice lives in all of us, searching for answers, making her own story along the way.

The timing is brilliant for this new movie and for bringing the story into the public eye again. What better occasion than the arrival of Spring to send some new branded merchandise onto the shelves? Every piece of jewelery, make-up products and pastel dresses is aimed at the enthusiastic consumer. This may sound rather cynical, but trying to be rational in this whole Alice-inspired madness is quite the challenge. Nonetheless, I can not wait to see what the designers will bring to the table. I will only mention one name here: Tom Binns jumped on the bandwagon to create jewelery inspired by the story. A high-end line and one with accessible prices, they are just one more proof that we are witnessing just the early start of a new trend.

Through the looking glass, down the rabbit hole, at a tea party, with the Queen of Hearts, all these phrases will be heard more and more over the next weeks or months. It will surely be interesting to see just how the imagination of the amazing writer that was Lewis Carroll can animate the fashion world 145 years after the original story was written.

Alice in Wonderland 2010 still

Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.